Web feeding mechanism for cash registers and the like



Dec. 1, 1953 F. R. WERNER v2,661,061

WEB FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CASl-jl REGISTERS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 25,1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l REG INVENTOR FRANK R. WERNER ms AITORNEY- Dec- 1,1953 F. R. WERNER 2,661,061

' WEB FEEDING MECHANISM FOR QASH REGISTERS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 25,1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl G. 5

INVENTOR FRANK R. WERNER BYg- M HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1, 1953 WEBFEEDING MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS AND THE LIKE Frank R. Werner,Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company,

Dayton,

Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application August 25, 1948, Serial No.46,165

This invention relates to improvements in web feeding mechanisms forcash registers and calculating machines.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved printingmechanism, and particularly the mechanisms for controlling the operationof web feeding mechanisms.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a webv feedingmechanism having tension rollers which grip the web at both sidesthereof to facilitate the tearing of the web from either the right orthe left.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a web feedmechanism with tension rollers, one gripping the web at each edgethereof, and each tension roller being independently actuated by aresilient means so that each tension roller can efiectan independentgripping of the web.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a receiptvprinting mechanism with a stationary tear-off knife, and to provide theweb feeding mechanism with two independently operable tension rollerswhich are adapted to grip the web at each edge thereof so that, when theoperator tears the receipt from the web by .pulling the web against thestationary tear-off knife, the operator may tear. either from the rightor from the'left.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel on-and-off meanswhereby the operator may throw the web feeding and printing mechanism onor off at will.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a web shiftingmechanism which is simple in construction and operation, whereby the webmay be shifted from a reading position into a printing position, andviceversa.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includescertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, apreferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafterrdescribed withreference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of thisspecification.

Of said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the receipt web feeding mechanism. r

I Fig. 3 is a left side elevation of the machine, showing the printermechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the on-and-off knob, together with certainmechanism for controlling the operation of the printing hammer for theissuing receipt. V V

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the web feeding 10 Claims. (Cl. 164-845) 2mechanism, and the on and off controls therefor.

The invention is shown applied to a machine of the type illustrated inUnited States Patent .No. 2,209,763, issued to E. Breitling on July 30,

Machines of the type illustrated in said patent are usually providedwith a series of settable levers H, H! and 20 0 (Fig. 1) and each leveris geared to a type wheel for printing data upon an issuing receipt.Indicators and 286 of the usual construction are provided. The machineis also provided with release keys 2m, and special counters 325. Themechanism is enclosed in a cabinet 34, resting on a cash drawer base 33.

An electro printing device is provided for printing various data of adescriptive or advertising nature upon the face of the issuing strip.The type wheels are inked by an endless ribbon supported by a removableframe, which may be easily and quickly removed from the machine when itis desired to change or adjust the inking ribbon. An ink well isprovided to constantly re-ink the ribbon. The electro printing andreceipt feeding mechanism may be disabled when desired by means of amanipulative device which projects through the cabinet of the machinenear its left side.

Printing mechanism The machine is provided with a printing mech anismmounted on the left side frame 3|, which printing mechanism records dataon a receipt 410 (Fig. 3).

The receipt paper is fed from a supply roll 413 (Fig. 3), rotatablymounted on a stud 414, carried by the left side frame 3|. The Web of thereceipt paper 415 is fed from the supply roll 413 around an ink well 476and over aguard 411, between feed rollers 5H], 5| l, and 5H, 512hereinafter described (see also Fig. 5), and through a chutel'lB (seealso Fig. l). A stationary knife 459, mounted on the chute 418, isprovided for tearing off the receipt 410 after the receipt has beenissued from the machine.

An endless ribbon 419 is provided for expediting the printing of thedata from a group of type wheels mounted on the stud 92, from manuallysettable date printing wheels, and from type wheels to identify themachine by a number or symbol, mounted on a stud 491.

Receipt printing mechanism To record the impressions on the receiptpaper from the type carriers on the studs 92 and 491, a.

hammer 480 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is provided. The hammer 480 is providedwith a platen 481, for printing from the type carriers on the stud 92,and a platen 482 for printing from the type wheels (not shown) on thestud 497. The hammer 480 is notched, to receive the forward end of anarm 485 (Fig. 4), and a stud 486, extending through the hammer 48D andthe free end of the arm 485, provides a pivot point for the hammer 480.The arm 485 is pivoted on a stud 481 carried by the side frame 31 of themachine. The arm 485 has, mounted thereon, a square stud 488, whichnormally lies in the path of a second square stud 495 (see Fig. 4)carried by the forward end of a link 495. The square stud 495 isnormally engaged by a lever 4S9 pivoted on the stud 481, the lower endof which lever is provided with an antifriction roller 4911, held inengagement with a cam 491, on a cam shaft 57, by a spring 492. I

Operation of the machine with the square stud 4515 overlying the squarestud 488 operates the printing hammer 481 in the following manner.Counterclockwise rotation of the cam 451 rocks, by engagement with theantifriction roller 4 911, the lever 489 clockwise against the action ofthe spring 492. Clockwise rotation of the lever 485 carries the stud 485against the stud 488, thus rocking the arm 4B5clockw'ise to lower theplatens 4 81 and 482 tocarry the web 4T5 and the ribbon 419 against thetype carriers to make an impression on the receipt paper. After theimpression has been made, and when the cam #91 passes beyond the roller490, the spring 492 restores the hammer 485 into its original position.

The hammer 451i is provided with aguide slot 493 engaging a stud 494carried by the left side frame 31. The slot 493, cooperating with thestud 455, guide the hammer in a vertical path when the arm 485 is rockedclockwise to make impressions.

The square stud 495 is movably mounted with the link 4% for disablingthe printing hammer when desired. When moved leftwardly from theposition shown in Fig. 4, the stud 495' is in its disabled position, andtherefore, when the earn 491 rock the lever 489, the stud 495 does notengage the stud 488; therefore the arm 485 is not operated. When it isdesired to operate the hammer 4811, the square stud 455 is moved to theright (as shown in Fig. 4) until it comes over the stud 488 inthe mannerdescribed hereinaf-te-r.

Receipt feed'cmd electro mechanisms" "tfo device prints various data ofdescriptive, or

advertising, nature on the face of the succeeding receipt. The receiptfeeding and electro mechanism will now be described.-

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, secured to the shaft '31 is a partial gear551, the teeth of which cooperate with the teeth in a full gear 552loose on a stud 553, and said gear 502 meshes with a full gear 554',loose on the stud 52. The gear 504 meshes with a full gear 5115rotatabl'y supported by the beforeme'ntioned stud 491 secured in theside frame 31. The gear 555 meshes with a gear 555 secured to a shaft501 mounted between the side frame 31 and a printer plate 458. Alsosecured to the'shaft' 501 is a gear 5118 meshing with mounted on theside frame 31.

41 a gear 509 rotatably mounted on the stud 491. The gears 555 and 505are located adjacent the edges of the receipt paper web 475. Secured tothe side of the gear 555 is a feed roller 51%, and secured to the sideof the gear 509 is a feed roller 511. The feed rollers 51!] and 511,coacting with pressure rollers 512, 512, one provided to engage each ofthe feed rollers, cooperate to feed the receipt web 4'15. Since the feedrollers and the 1 pressure rollers engage the receipt paper web at itsedges, the receipt paper will be fed through the machine in a straightline. Each pressure roller 512 is independently mounted on a bell crank513 pivotally mounted on the stud 4514 A link 514 connects each bellcrank 513 to a rod 515. The ends of the rod 515 are loosely engaged withthe links 514 to permit independent action of each link 514 and eachbell crank 513, so that the pressure rollers 512 can receive independentmovement, so that a firm contact will be made'with their respective feedrollers. A single spring 515 is connected at one end to the rod 515midway between its two ends and at its other end to a rod 517. The rod511' is carried by two arms 518, 518, which arm are connected togetherby a yoke The yoke 5155 supports a printing platen 525, which platen isprovided to take impressions from a rotatable electro roll 521'. Theyoke 519 is held against an adjustable screw 522, carried by a bar 5242connecting an arm 524 and an arm 5241, both arms being pivoted on a stud526. A spring 523, stretched between a stud on one arm 51% and a stud inthe arm 524, maintains the yoke 519 in contact with the adjustable screw5.2. A spring 521, connected to a stud on the arm 524, maintains a stud525 on said arm 524 in engagement with a cam plate 528 rotatably mountedon a stud 530.

The cam 528, in cooperation with the stud 525, maintains the arm 524 andthe adjusting screw 522 in such contact with the yoke 519 as to maintainthe electro printing platen 521] in printing position. When the partsjust described are in the position shown in Fig. 3, under control of thecam plate 528, the rod 511 is located in slots 531 in such relation tothe left-hand ends of said slots as to permit the spring 51:5, actingthrough links 514, to independently maintain the pressure rollers 512,512 in contact with their respective feed rollers 511] and 51 1.

With the pressure rollers 512, 512 resiliently held against the feedrollers 510 and 511, when the machine is operated, the main cam shaft3'1, through the gears 551, 552, 504, 5115, 506, 5113, and 5119 and thefeed rollers 511] and 511, feeds the receipt paper out of the machine.During this operation, the gear 55?. rotates the electro 521 to causethe advertising matter to be printed on the receipt paper.

In order to provide time for the printing hammer 4511 to take itsimpression before the receipt is fed out of the machine, the gear 551has a section of its teeth omitted, and a plate 532 is secured thereto,which, in cooperation with the cut-away portion 553 on the gear 552,maintains the gear 552 against rotation until the plate 532 passesbeyond the cut-away portion 533. After the cut-away portion 533 is freefrom the gear 5112, the partial gear 501, acting through the train ofgears 552 to 5119, rotates the feeding disks 511i and 511. During thisoperation, gear 552 rotates the electro cylinder to make the impressionson the receipt paper for the next r'ec'eipt to be issued.

Printer and feed throw-017 When it is desired'to operate the machinewithout issuing a receipt, the printer platen 480 and the feed mechanismare disabled, by rotating the 'cam plate 528 prior to a machineoperation. To facilitate the adjustment of the cam plate 528, a knob 536is provided thereon, which knob projects through the cabinet of themachine, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The full-line position of the knob536 (in Fig. 4) indicates the position which the cam plate assumes whenthe printer hammer and the feed mechanism are operated. As shown in thisfigure, the square stud 495 lies over the square stud 488, andtherefore, when the machine is operated, the square stud 495, acting onthe square stud 488, operates the printing hammer in the mannerdescribed above. If it is desired to disable the printing mechanism, theoperator moves the knob 536 to the dot-anddash line position shown inFig. 4. This rotates the cam plate 528 and causes a cam surface 53!thereon to coact with the stud 525 and allow the movement of the arm 524counter-clockwise under action of the spring 521. The rotation of the.cam plate 528 is arrested when a node 539 thereon comes into contactwith the stud 525. Counter-clockwise movement of the arm 524, through,the spring 523, lifts the arms 5I8 to move the electro platen 528 intoineffective position. Simultaneously, the arms 5I8, acting on the rod5ll, shift the links5l4 leftwardly (Fig. 3) to rock the bell cranks 513counter-clockwise to raisethe pressure rollers 512, 5I2 out of engagingposition with the feed rollers 5m and 5| I. Also simultaneously with thecounter-clockwise movement of the rod 5", the link 495 is movedleftwardly to move the square stud 495 from the position shown in Fig. 4tothe position in which the square stud 495 no longer overlies thesquare stud 488. Subsequent operation of the machine when the main camshaft 31 is rotated causes the lever 489 to rock the square'stud'495idly, and therefore the printing hammer 48!! will not be operated tomake an impression. Also the operation of the feed rollers 5H] and 5 isidle,

since the tension rollers 5l2 are not engaged therewith.

While the form of mechanism shown and described herein is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to one form orembodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. In a web feed mechanism for a machine 0 the class described, thecombination of feed rollers, tension rollers coacting with the web andthe feed rollers adjacent the edges of the web, a separate support foreach tension roller, an independently operable means connected to eachtension roller support to move the respective tension rollers intocoacting positions, a rod loosely connecting the independently operablemeans, and a single spring, one end thereof being con nected to the rodand the other end thereof being connected to a support therefor, saidspring being biased to actuate the said means.

2. In a web feed mechanism for a machine of the class described, thecombination of feed rollers, tension rollers coacting with the web andthe feed rollers adjacent the edges of the web, a separate support foreach tension roller, a link connected to each'tension roller support, arod loosely connecting the free ends of the links to allow independentmovement of the links, and a single spring, one end thereof beingconnected to the rod and the other end being connected to a supporttherefor, said spring biased to move said links and tension rollersupports separately to separately move the tension rollers into coactingpositions.

3. In a web feed mechanism for a machine of the class described, thecombination of feed rollers, tension rollers coacting with the Web andthe feed rollers'adjacent the edges of the web, a separate support foreach tension roller, a link connected to each tension roller support,means loosely connecting the links whereby the links can moveindependently of each other to thereby move the tension rollers intocoacting positions independently of each other, and a single spring oneend thereof operatively attached to the connecting means, and the otherend attached to a support, said spring biased to actuate the connectingmeans.

4. In a web feed mechanism for a machine of the class described, thecombination of 1 feed rollers; tension rollers coacting with the web andthe feed rollers adjacent the edges of the web; a separate support foreach tension roller; independently operable means connected to eachtension roller support, a rod loosely connecting the independentlyoperable means, a single spring, one end thereof being connected to therod, and the other end thereof being connected to a support, said springbeing biased to actuate the rod and the independently operable means tomove the respective tension rollers into coacting positions; and astationary tear-off knife adjacent the path of travel of the web, saidtension rollers gripping the web at both edges, acting to hold the webto permit the web to be torn from either side against the stationarytear-off knife.

5. In a web feed mechanism for a machine of the class described, thecombination of feed rollers; tension rollers coacting with the Web andthe feed rollers adjacent the edges of the web; a separate sup-port foreach tension roller; a link connected to each tension roller support;means loosely connecting the links whereby the links can moveindependently of each other to thereby move the tension rollers intocoacting positions independently of each other; a single spring havingone end connected to the connecting means and the other end connected toa support, said spring biased to actuate the, connecting means; and astationary tear-off knife adjacent the path of travel of the web, saidtension rollers gripping the web at both edges and acting to hold theweb to permit the web to be torn from either side against the stationarytear-01f knife.

6. In a web feed mechanism for a machine of the class described, thecombination of feed rollers; tension rollers coacting with the web andthe feed rollers adjacent the edges of the web; a separate support foreach tension roller; a link connected to each support; a yoke includingtwo arms, each arm having an opening; a rod projecting into the holes ofthe arms and into slots in said links, a second rod loosely connectingthe and the feed rollers adjacent the edges {of the web; :a separatesupport for each tension roller, .said supports being independentlyoperable; a link connected to :each tension roller support to move therespective tension rollers into coasting position; a;yol e including"two arms, each arm having an opening; a rod projecting 1111501116openings of the arms and into the slots of said links, a second rodloosely connecting the free ends-of the :links, saidlooseconnection-andslots providing means whereby the links can moveindependently of each other to thereby move the tension rollers intocoacting positions indeipendently of each other; a spring stretchedbetweentsaidrods to actuatethe links, saidyoke adjustable from aposition in which the tension rollers :are resiliently held in coactingposition with the feed rollers to aposition in which said tensionrollers are moved out of coacting position with the feed rollers; an armcoasting with the yoke to determine the position of the yoke; and a camto move the arm into cheer the other of itstwopositions.

-8.. In a machine of the class described, the combination of feedrollers; tension rollers .independently mounted on a commonaxis andeach.roller independently movable into coacting position with the webadjacent the edges thereof and the feed rollers to feed the web; aseparate means for each tension roller to urge the tension rollers intosaid coacting position; a single resilient means toactuate both-of said-a cam settable to two positions; an arm controlled by the cam to-assumea differentsetting for each setting .of the cam; and connecting meansbetween the arm and the tension rollers, whereby-the separate resilientmeans are set in accordance with the setting of the arm and the cam,said tension rollers held in feeding position when the cam is set intoone position and out of feeding position when said cam is set into itsother position.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of feed rollers;tension rollers independently mounted on a common axis andsaid rollersindependently movable, from a position in which they coast with the feedrollers to feed the web into a position in which they-do not coact withthe feed rollers to thereby prevent feeding of the web; 18. separateoperable :connection to urge each tension roller into said coacting,position; a single resilient means to actuate'both of said connections;connections to disable'the operable connections; and a manipulativedevice to determine the position of the connections.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of feedrollers; tension rollers, movable from a position in which they coactwith the feed rollers to feed the web into a position in which they donot coact with the feed rollers to thereby prevent feeding of the web; alink to urge each tension roller into said coacting position; a rodloosely attached to said links; a singlespring attached to the rod andto a support means for said links to actuate said links; a two-armedyoke; apin-and-slot connection between each arm and each link;connections including a Team arm; and a cam to control the position ofthe yoke whereby the yoke ispositioned in one of 'two positions, saidyoke determining the position of the links whereby the tension rollersare moved into efiejctive or ineffective position.

FRANK R. WERNER.

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